Raw Food Explained and What to Buy from our Online Shop for Delivery

Healthy, delicious vegetarian cuisine made with living foods.

First Things First

Food can be called raw if it has not been heated above 42C (104F).

Sometimes referred to as living because the enzymes have not been destroyed or denatured by the cooking process. The damage caused to the enzymes in by cooking can reduce the nutritive value of a meal.

This diet can have some great benefits.

Everyone knows that fresh fruit and vegetables are nutritious but eating them raw can add great benefits such as:

Live enzymes and vitamins offer the best nutrition

Eating an organic raw food diet can allow the body to release toxins. This can lead to better health and possibly help to eliminate some diseases.

If you need to lose weight, eating this way will almost always lead to weight loss without the feelings of hunger and fatigue that accompany many diets.

Those who eat this way find they have more energy and a better skin tone; often they will start to look younger.

All these (except the nuts) should be stored in air tight containers out of direct sunlight.

Nuts and perishables should be stored in the refrigerator. Nuts soon go rancid unless eaten very quickly. Buying whole nuts and grinding them as needed is advised.

Make sure you have a good supply of fresh greens such as kale and other vegetables such as carrots, pak choi and fennel which can be grated to add to salads and other dishes. Fresh fruit is also essential, particularly fresh lemons which are necessary for many recipes.

Raw Seasonings, Oils and Vinegars

Many raw food recipes advise using Himalayan Crystal Salt to add flavour. Himalayan Salt is said to be one of the purest salts on the planet and has 82 trace elements.

Raw Coconut Oil is consistently one of our bestsellers, replacing butter, cooking oils and even moisturiser! It's excellent for an energy boost in a smoothie or for making raw cookies and confections.

Nama Shoyu is not a raw product. It is an unpasteurised soy sauce and is recommended as it contains living enzymes. We are currently having trouble finding a good source in the UK (if you know of one, feel free to email us at webshop@realfoods.co.uk and we'll look into stocking it). Alternatives include Gluten Free Tamari or Shoyu Sauce (also fermented naturally although not raw), a mixture of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and Salt gives a similar flavour or try blitzing 1 large porta bella mushroom, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 cups of water together to create your own savoury sauce.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is a popular seasoning. It can help to restore your body's pH balance and aid digestion. Raw and 'from the mother' apple cider vinegars contain prebiotics that encourage the growth of 'good' bacteria in the gut. It may help insulin sensitivity in Type II diabetes. Make sure you dilute it though, it'll wreck your tooth enamel otherwise!

Equipping Your Raw Food Kitchen

You can achieve great results with equipment you probably already have in your kitchen. As your experience of raw food cuisine develops you may like to invest in some more specialised tolls and gadgets to make life easier. (Be warned though, if you like gadgets you could end up spending a lot of money!)

To begin with check out the list below which shows you the basic tools you will need:

blender cake decorating kit bun tray citrus juicer chopping boards

funnels electric & hand beaters garlic press grater food processor

knives potato masher ladles mesh bags palette knife

strainers rolling pin spatulas spoons

If you are missing any of these, they are usually fairly inexpensive to buy.

As you experience the benefits of a this diet you will want to expand your repertoire and so may need to invest in some more specialist equipment. This could include any or all of the following:

Spiral Slicer - this can turn vegetable such as sweet potatoes, onions and courgettes into fine spaghetti like strands for raw pasta or long thin ribbons.

Heavy Duty Blender - this will turn even hard vegetables into soups or airy mousses.

Dehydrator - used to warm food on a cold day and to create your own raw food cookies, crackers and burgers, or dry your own fruit slices.

Coffee Grinder - great for grinding dried herbs, dried nuts and certain seeds. Don't use one that has been used for coffee beans though as the flavours will intermingle.